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Abstract
Organic farming has gained ground worldwide and has expanded in recent years due to environmental, economic, and social concerns. In Egypt, up to 2.23 % of the agricultural area is managed organically. The transition from conventional to organic farming is accompanied by changes in an array of soil properties and processes that affect soil properties. These changes in soil properties under Egyptian condition are not well documented. Therefore, the present study was carried out to study the comparative effects of organic and conventional farming systems on some soil chemical and biological indicators under Egyptian condition. Surface soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected from eight field pairs (organic field and its conventional counterpart) to represent organic farms in three locations (Fayoum (Tubhar village), Belbeis city (SEKEM Organic Farm) and Salhyia city). The organic fields have been in organic practice for 4, 6, and 10 years (Fayoum samples), 20 and 30 years (SEKEM samples ), 8, 10 and 12 years (Salhyia samples) since organic farming certification. The studied soil chemical and fertility indicators included soil organic carbon, T-N, pH, EC, CEC, exchangeablecations, and available N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn. While the biological indicators included population count of total bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi and azotobacter as well as the activity of dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and urease enzymes.